* TSX down 69.94 points, or 0.53 percent, to 13,175.81
* Eight of the TSX's 10 main groups were lower
TORONTO, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index
retreated on Wednesday as the slide in crude oil prices weighed
on energy stocks, while mining stocks contended with a drop in
the price of gold.
The biggest drag on the market was Canadian Natural
Resources Ltd CNQ.TO which declined 2.1 percent to C$30.48.
Enbridge Inc ENB.TO fell 1.7 percent to C$45.32. The
company said on Tuesday it has halted operations on its Ozark
pipeline due to flooding along the Mississippi River.
The overall energy group fell 1.9 percent.
U.S. crude CLc1 prices were down 3.7 percent to $36.46 a
barrel, while Brent crude LCOc1 lost 3.2 percent to
$36.58. O/R
The materials group fell 1.2 percent, including a 2.8
percent drop in Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO to C$10.20.
Spot gold XAU= fell 0.8 percent. Bullion has lost almost
10 percent of its value this year, largely on concerns that
higher U.S. interest rates would hurt demand for the
non-yielding asset.
At 10:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's
S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE fell 69.94 points, or 0.53
percent, to 13,175.81, trading at one-week lows.
The index made a nearly three-week peak on Dec. 24 at
13,344.18.
Of the index's 10 main groups, eight were in negative
territory.
Financial stocks fell 0.4 percent, including a 0.5 percent
drop in Royal Bank of Canada RY.TO to C$75.47.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (N:VRX) VRX.TO found a
foothold after falling sharply at the start of the week on news
its chief executive officer, Michael Pearson (L:PSON), is taking medical
leave. The stock rose 0.8 percent to C$141.29.